Victor Osimhen has given an exclusive interview to media regarding his departure from SSC Napoli.
On ending his Napoli spell in difficult circumstances:
“I feel sorry for the fans, because I never spoke publicly about what happened. Some fans even came to my house asking for explanations. We talked, and I asked them to put themselves in my position. Everything broke down completely after Napoli posted that video on TikTok.”
In September 2023, Napoli’s official TikTok account posted a clip mocking Osimhen after he missed a penalty.
Asked to explain the reasons:
“Anyone can miss a penalty, anyone can be mocked for it. But Napoli targeted me specifically, with certain implications. I became a victim of racist insults, and that’s when I decided to leave. I deleted photos of me wearing the Napoli shirt from Instagram, and they used that to encourage fans to criticise me. My daughter is more Neapolitan than Nigerian to me.”
On his relationship with Aurelio De Laurentiis before the video:
“We had a gentlemen’s agreement that I could leave in the next summer transfer window. But they did not fully respect the promise. They tried to send me anywhere, treating me like a dog. Go here, go there, do this, do that. I have worked extremely hard for my career and cannot accept this kind of treatment. I am not a puppet.”
On whether Antonio Conte tried to repair the relationship:
“Of course, despite rumours saying he did not want me to stay. Honestly, which coach wouldn’t want me? Conte called me into his office as soon as he arrived, told me he understood the situation but still wanted me to stay. I explained I would have loved to work with him, but I had already made my decision and did not want to stay somewhere I was unhappy.”
On his biggest regret:
“No one apologised publicly for what happened. De Laurentiis called me several times after the video, but that was it. Meanwhile, rumours spread that I was late for training and argued with teammates. These are all lies. I feel sorry for the fans, but I understand and respect them. They always support the club. For them, Napoli always comes first.”
English Summary (155 characters)
In an exclusive interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Victor Osimhen launched a strong criticism of Napoli. He accused the club of breaking a gentlemen’s agreement, claimed he was treated “like a dog”, and cited the controversial TikTok video mocking his penalty miss as the breaking point, which also led to racist abuse against him.
